The Ateam to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!
by Elaborated-Run-Ons-and-Riffs
Summary: Title says it all! LA Underground meets Labyrinth Underground. Two campy 80s productions collide! All main characters plus other characters. Action-adventure, fantasy, humor, and even romance. Please read and review!
1. The Case

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

Disclaimer: I don't own the A-team or Labyrinth (only on DVD) though they are inspirations, part of my childhood and forever an impact on my imagination!

**Chapter One – The New Case**

Hannibal, Face, and Murdock were all relaxing one evening watching a football game in the house of their friend and barber, Ed Strauss. Ed told them about the mysterious disappearance of his best friend's daughter, Sarah Williams. She was at college at the time and was last seen at a park. The police had been searching for weeks. Hannibal said they would take the case, that is, if the William's family agrees. This led them, of course, to adventures beyond their wildest dreams.

That night Murdock snuck back into the mental institution because he didn't want to miss out on a visitor scheduled the next morning, a famous Italian magician with the stage name: The Amazing Gratissimo, who, as Murdock put it "Can make pasta magically fly through mid-air and disappear!"

Hannibal and Face spoke with Sarah's father in the morning at the William's home and Mr. Williams said, "Any help is appreciated and money is no object!" He was heartbroken and gave them as much detailed information as he could about his missing daughter along with pictures.

During the visit, Sarah's little brother Toby was sitting at the top of the staircase incognito, spying on the exchange. An echo in the house carried the voices upstairs well. He was seven years old by that time and fascinated by the visitors. His mother was out shopping and didn't meet the gentlemen.

Hannibal and Face then met B.A. Baracus practicing target shooting at a local indoor gun range. He recently purchased a new fire arm and was trying it out. He came out to the lobby area with ear muffs still on his head and his mohawk pressed down in the middle. Face pointed this out and smiled. B.A. glanced upwards slightly and took off the ear muffs without hesitation, with only a hint of a smile in return in the corner of his mouth.

They discussed the case at a café in downtown L.A. as they waited for Murdock. After a short while they saw Murdock walking down the street wearing a magician's cape, hat and holding a wand. He said his disappearing act from the mental institution worked like charm using the wand he borrowed from the Amazing Gratissimo. At this, B.A. sat up folding his arms, already cross about the new foolishness he knew he would have to put up with during the entire case.

The A-team then planned to visit the college Sarah attended to speak with friends and anyone who might know anything about her disappearance. Hannibal told Face to go around asking the questions alone, since he was the least intimidating of the four; the one with the "face" for it, so to speak, and smooth manners that would blend in well on campus. Face introduced himself as a private investigator to everyone he talked to and was able to gather much information.

Sarah's roommate and best friend at college, Beth Sanchez, a tall twenty-one year old on the basketball team, spoke with Faceman at the dorm. Beth mentioned that in the weeks before she disappeared, Sarah talked about seeing a white owl several times including at their dorm room window and in the park as if the owl were following her around. "The owl reminded Sarah of her favorite children's book." Beth continued and lastly remarked; "Sarah has quite a gifted imagination. She often visits the park to sit, imagine, read, and write the dramas she's so famous for on campus. She writes as well as acts and is so talented! I could never do that. We tend to have opposite interests, but get along great!"

The A-team then visited the park after searching through crime reports and statistics for the college, park, and surrounding area. Toby was at the park with his Mother. He begged his mother that day to take him since Sarah used to take him to that park almost every Saturday since the family moved to L.A. and Sarah began college.

Toby immediately recognized Hannibal and Face from their visit to his house that morning and said, "Those are the men that are going to find Sarah!" So Sarah's Step Mother, Karen Irene and Toby met all four members of the A-team in the park that afternoon.

Karen didn't know what to think, especially about B.A. and Murdock. She didn't know if they could be trusted and asked them all kinds of questions about their background and experience. Hannibal told her they were military veterans and very good at what they do. He gave her the phone number of Amy Allen, Frankie Santana, and a few others as references.

Toby told the A-team some interesting things about his sister while at the park. He told them his sister was very brave and saved him from the Goblin King when she was fifteen and he was just a baby. He also said that if they found her small red book it could help them find clues. Toby's Mom corrected him immediately and said, "Now Toby, why are you telling these men made-up stories that aren't true? You can be even stranger than your sister is sometimes!"

Toby, now even more impressed by the A-team after meeting all four of them, spoke enthusiastically with his Mother while driving home from the park. He said, "They must have lots of great adventures and stories to tell. If anyone can find my sister, they can!"

Murdock then said to the rest of the team: "So, should we try to find Sarah's red book?" B.A. replied, "You crazy fool, that's the least likely lead we have; some kid's imagination!" Hannibal said, "Sure it's crazy, but Murdock might just have a point, sounds like a plan!" So Face contacted Beth and she searched the dorm room for the red fairytale book and found it.


	2. Goblin King

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Two - The Goblin King**

The A-team visited Ed their barber again that evening and instead of watching football they read the tale of the Labyrinth, taking turns reading it out loud. When it was B.A.'s turn to read, he refused. "This is crazy!" he said, folding his arms again in disbelief, astounded at the foolish waste of time he knew it would be. He thought it was quite ridiculous to sit around reading fairytale fluff to find clues. "Although stories from the Underground are interesting, how is this going to help us find Sarah?" questioned Face.

Then Murdock suggested, jokingly, lifting up his magic wand, "Why don't we just say to B.A.; 'I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now! – that's not so hard is it!'" B.A. stood up with his muscular arms reaching out threatening to squeeze Murdock's neck and shouted, "You foo…"

All of the sudden, B.A. disappeared into thin air! Murdock said, "Oh! I didn't mean it! I was only joking! I guess the wand works much better than I thought!" and he stood there looking at the end of the wand and shook it slightly. Then pointing at it with the other hand and shaking his finger at it he said: "Bad wand! You should only work when I'm serious!"

Face then interrupted, "Quiet, I hear something!" There was a little giggle from behind a curtain in the room. One of the little goblins from the Underground thought Murdock was very funny and couldn't help but laugh right then.

Then the room became dark and there was a knock at the front door. Ed was standing in the corner of the room a bit in shock and pale about what just happened to his friend B.A. but still went over to the window to see who was at the door. "There's a man outside with weird hair wearing a cape, tights, and English riding boots!" he exclaimed.

Hannibal assessed the situation; "I guess there really _is_ a Goblin King after all and we have summoned him from the Underground," "And he took B.A.!" Face exclaimed! "Exactly." replied Hannibal. Murdock peaked out of the window to see if it was true.

Jareth, The Goblin King, knocked one more time, louder. Ed said, "I'm not getting that!" Then Hannibal said, "Murdock, since you started this, you get it!"

Murdock carefully opened the door; "Are you the Goblin King?" he asked, "'come 'a tapping, rapping at my chamber door; only this and nothing more?"

"You're quite an articulate fellow!" Jareth announced (the initial scowl eased from his face), then warned; "Though implying I'm a raven will result in less generosity from me than I'm accustomed to grant people like you who wish friends, relatives, or even baby brothers away!" Jareth was obviously annoyed at the person at the door wearing a cape like some kind of pseudo-magician and quoting lines of poetry.

"Well, I see this introduction's off to a great start!" chimed in Face, in his typical sarcastic overture.

Jareth looked austerely and calculatingly at each of the four men in the living room and in half a second decided Hannibal was in charge. He looked directly at Hannibal and said, "If you want to see your friend with the jewelry and mohawk again, you must solve the Labyrinth. I'm not feeling very generous now, so I'll give you three hours to solve it or your friend will be turned into a goblin and guard my castle forever!"

The A-team saw walls of the Labyrinth appear before them. The maze was set on a hillside so they could get an idea of the huge conundrum it was: stone walls, hedges, and forest areas for miles with the castle in the center.

Jareth began to fade away and disappear. As he faded, they heard his voice echoing; "It's further than you think! Time is short!"

He didn't have much pity on them.

The trio stood there by an old wishing well fountain just outside the Labyrinth walls. Murdock said, "I have an idea! I'll try to use my magic wand to get the three of us instantly to the castle!" He lifted up his wand and said; "Take us to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth, right now!" but the wand didn't seem to work in the Underground and Face commented, "That would be just too easy, wouldn't it?" "Maybe I just need to find the right words!" Murdock answered, "if at first you don't succeed, try and try again!'" He tried twenty or more times using different phrases. None of them worked and he gave up for the time being, hoping to find the right words along the way. The trio walked along the outer walls in search of a gate or entrance.


	3. Escher Room

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Three – The Escher Room**

Meanwhile B.A. found he was in the Escher Room in Jareth's castle. He couldn't believe his eyes; "This can't be real! I must be dreamin'! Those fools must've drugged me again to put me on an airplane; they know how much I hate flyin'! Where were they going on a plane this time, though? The last thing I remember is the red book and Murdock's wand. I don't remember eating or drinking anything at Ed's house they could have drugged. I could really be in trouble this time! I don't know what to think!"

B.A. walked up and down the stair cases and walkways of the puzzling room. It seemed to change at every turn! Often he couldn't decide if he was going upwards or downwards, gravity seemed defied! He could see the door that led outside the room. At times it looked like it was right in front of him, yet he could never reach it! "This room needs a lesson in physics!" he exclaimed.

B.A. became quite frustrated after what seemed hours in the room. He even tried jumping off a few of the platform ledges, ones that didn't look too far to jump, yet to no avail. He became quite hungry, thirsty, and tired. Out of breath, he said, "This is like bein' in a hamster wheel! I feel like some kind of lab rat!" Then he added; "Where's a magic wand when you need one! What are those magic words? I could use them now, anythin' to get outa' here!"

Jareth walked into the room to see how B.A. was adapting to his new environment. "Did you put me in here, fool? I want out!", erupted B.A.'s infuriated words without any greetings or introductions.

Jareth replied, "You're quite a clever chap, aren't you? Get right to the point! I like that! What do you do for a living?"

"I give punks like you more than they bargain for!" B.A. responded.

"Oh really!" said Jareth, "Then how about upping the stakes?"

"What do you have in mind, fool?", queried B.A.

To this Jareth replied, "First of all, if I hear one more insult from you, directly into the Bog of Eternal Stench you will go! And secondly, I will give your friends more time to solve the Labyrinth if you rescue Sarah and bring her back here."

"Where _is_ Sarah?" asked B.A. and Jareth gave him the dispatch: "My evil sister, Lileth, Queen of Werewolves, decided she wants an heir to take over her kingdom so she can escape to the Aboveground and retire. She wants Sarah to marry our cousin, Sir James Prowl-foot, become a werewolf, and rule the kingdom with him. My sister is attempting to obtain a magic potion as well that will turn her into a normal human instead of a werewolf. She wants to live near SoHo, in London (Where else, of course!). I don't want Sarah to become a werewolf, personally, she does mean something to me after all I put her through here in my Labyrinth years ago; I want to help her get out of this mess if I can."

B.A. replied, "Why don't you rescue her yourself? And why doesn't Sir Prowl-wolf or whatever his name is just take over and become king? Why is Sarah forced to marry him?" To this Jareth replied; "If I rescue her, it could cause a war between our two kingdoms. Werewolves are of course much more ruthless than goblins. They could take over my kingdom. If you get caught, you'll tell them you're Sarah's friend from the Aboveground; not a word about my involvement! As for Sarah marrying, it's my cousin's demand to marry her in exchange for helping Lileth develop the potion. Only then will he agree to rule the kingdom. And by the way, B.A., if you tell Sarah anything about your friends' attempt to rescue you, I will tip you and your friends straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench; is that clear? Keep in mind, I'm watching at all times!"

"Yes, it's clear!" replied B.A. with a little difficulty holding back the word "fool" at the end of the sentence.

Jareth's cousin, James, indeed had a great gift for developing potions. After all, he's the one who taught Jareth how to make the powerful potion he put inside the peach he gave to Sarah when she was trying to solve the Labyrinth to save her baby brother years before.

Jareth then took a crystal orb from inside his cloak and showed B.A. the road to the werewolf kingdom. He said, "I will show you how to get to my sister Lileth's kingdom to find Sarah, only you must arrive during daylight and leave before nightfall. Werewolves are dangerous at night. During the day they're humans and sleep in shifts with one eye open, with someone always on the lookout for strangers."

B.A. then asked Jareth about the white owl Sarah saw more than once before she disappeared. He divulged that it was him trying to warn Sarah, but he couldn't talk to her in owl form and couldn't change into his kingly stature unless she called out his name since Sarah defeated him in the Labyrinth years ago.

Lastly, Jareth took the crystal to show B.A. what happened during Sarah's abduction. Queen Lileth appeared in the park disguised as a nice, normal woman and said she was conducting a college survey. At the end of the survey she asked Sarah, "Have you ever been to the Underground, my dear?" This took Sarah by surprise and Lileth told her that Haggle, Sarah's friend in the Labyrinth, was in trouble, that he was kidnapped and needed her help. Sarah said, "Oh, you must mean Hoggle!" She went with Lileth to the Underground immediately to save him.

It surprised Sarah at first to see Lileth in her queenly stature in the Underground; she looked striking dressed in red and black. Lileth _did_ remind Sarah of someone else from there, of course, her brother the Goblin King. Queen Lileth was hospitable at first, though, and gave Sarah a tour of her castle including the dungeon where Hoggle, the dwarf, was kept. Lileth then said she would release Hoggle if Sarah became Queen of the Werewolves in her place and marry her cousin, Sir James Prowl-foot.

Sarah said, "What will you do with me if I refuse?" "Then I will turn you and Hog-snort into slaves to serve here in my castle for the rest of your lives." "It's Hoggle." said Sarah. "Yes, Hog-wild, my dear, or whatever." replied Queen Lileth.

"So I'm trapped here either way!" Sarah replied. "At least you could be Queen and your friend can go free." Queen Lileth answered, then continued, "I will give you two months to marry my cousin; that should give me plenty of time to prepare my journey and retirement. My cousin is now on a long journey, an errand I sent him on. When he returns, any day now, you will meet him. Meanwhile Hog-nose will have to stay in the dungeon and you can familiarize yourself with my kingdom; only be careful at night, all my subjects are werewolves and I'm one too, dear! The quicker you decide to marry, the safer you will be from them and from me as well! You take more and more of a risk each day you decide to wait!"

B.A. set off on his journey to rescue Sarah immediately. That is, after a quick meal to refuel his energy. Along the way he met Ludo, the nice beast; Sir Didymus, the high-spirited fox; and Ambrosius, the friendly sheep dog, all friends of Sarah. Jareth knew they could be trusted and sent them to meet B.A..

Sir Didymus said to B.A., "Take us with you! I am very brave and so is my loyal steed, Ambrosius! We are at your command!" Ludo then said slowly in his deep gruff yet easygoing beastly voice: "Ludo and Sarah, friends!" B.A. Replied, "I could use your help, come with me!" "Ludo scared!" said Ludo and B.A. replied, "Don't worry, we'll be there only during daylight. We must hurry!" B.A. thought, "I still can't believe this is real! It _must_ be a dream!"


	4. Max the Goblin

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Four – Max the Goblin**

Outside the walls of the Labyrinth, Hannibal, Face, and Murdock met Hoggel's smart and younger cousin, Glyndl, who was searching for them. She had lots of curly red hair braided in pigtails and wore a green and white dress with frilly trimmings of eyelet lace. She had a broad red nose, lots of energy, and greeted the visitors saying, "Glyndl, at your service!"

Face asked, "Could you tell us where the nearest entrance to the Labyrinth is?"

"You mean…how do you get in…?" responded Glyndl with her head slightly downward and wide, playful dark eyes looking straight up at them. She whispered, "Always remember, my friends, you must ask the _right_ questions!" She winked at Face in a flirtatious way thinking he was cute.

"Yes, how do we get into the Labyrinth?", inquired Hannibal, taking her tip.

"You get in there!" Glyndl responded, completing the passcode, and the secret gate swung open.

She warned the trio to not take anything for granted in the Labyrinth. She was happy to be of service and knew the A-team was there to rescue Sarah. She asked them to search for Hoggle, her lost cousin, as well. "If you find one of them, chances are you'll find the other one too!" said Glyndl, right on track as usual**.**

Lastly, she said, "I would go in there with you and help you get to the castle, but Jareth would only give me (and you fellas) nothin' but grief the entire way due to my meddelin'. He's watching every second." Face replied, "Thanks, Glyndl!" As Glyndl waved goodbye she thought, "They're so brave to stand up to that creep who thinks he's all that! Jareth's in way over his head once again this time!"

Inside the Labyrinth, the A-team met William the Worm, the same worm Sarah met near the entrance. He warned them to be very careful of oubliettes, dark pits of no escape, and to stay clear of the Bog of Eternal Stench, unless you want to smell bad forever. He offered them a nice cup of tea.

As the rescuers continued their journey, they asked every creature they met along the way if they had seen Sarah and, if so, when they last saw her. None had seen her, at least not recently, since she was fifteen.

Hannibal said, "If only we had an airplane, helicopter, or even a jeep, we could get through this Labyrinth in no time!"

Hannibal, Face, and Murdock then found their way to the part of the Labyrinth riddled by green hedges instead of stone walls. There they spied a goblin, short in stature, about as tall as Murdock's knee. He was bald, wore a leather cap, had big light brown attentive eyes and scraggly facial hair.

The goblin was testing out his new invention, a small speedy rocket. He launched it with a small creature tied onto it, a Snapper, a creature with no fur, big mouth, and very big, sharp teeth. The rocket soared high into the air and the creature on it screamed, "Wait! Not without a helmet!" as it flew off.

The trio followed the projectile the best they could around several hedges just over a hill and found it before the small goblin did. When Murdock tried to pick it up, the Snapper on it tried to bite him. Murdock then took off his magician's hat. He pulled it over the creature's teeth, head, and whole body to blind and muzzle it. The creature immediately began to chew and crumple the hat. Murdock waved his magic wand to see what would happen and said "Abracadabrato-escargo!" as the Amazing Gratissimo might say, and "Poof!"

When Murdock uncovered the creature it had changed into a large green garden snail the same size as the Snapper (Did you think it would be a rabbit? Not in the Labyrinth!). Murdock untied the snail from the rocket and it crawled away with a new disposition in life.

"It finally worked!" Murdock said enthusiastically, "Though my hat's ruined!" "The hat really didn't suit you anyway!" remarked Face.

Max the goblin then arrived, out of breath, and yelled, "Hey, that's my rocket!" Murdock replied, "Finders keepers!" Max argued, "That's not fair! What can I give you in exchange for my own invention?"

Hannibal said, "You can show us the quickest way to get to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth." "You drive a hard bargain." was Max's reply, "I often get lost too!" "That's not a good enough excuse", replied Hannibal, "at least you can try". "Alright, I'll see what I can do.", Max said, grudgingly giving in.

Meanwhile, Sarah, at the Werewolf Castle, was sad at the turn of events. She wasn't allowed to go to the dungeon alone to talk to Hoggle; an escort was always required.

The castle was dark, not well lit. It was crumbling, not in great condition, and worse than Jareth's castle for sure. Sarah noticed birds flying and resting on its towers and balconies and wondered how she could get a message to someone to rescue her, if only she could talk to the birds, if they were nice of course, or if she could find anyone nice to talk to at all who could help her.

A royal banquet and masquerade ball was planned for Sarah to meet James, her new fiancé. Queen Lileth told her the fairies had a decorating contract with the Werewolf Kingdom, so it should be very elaborate.

Eight small fairies flew through the window to measure Sarah for her new gown for the ball. She had grown since she was fifteen. Sarah recognized one of them. It was the same fairy she saw outside the Labyrinth walls years ago, the one who bit her. The fairies were on their best behavior now, however. They didn't bite since they were to be rewarded handsomely by the Queen. The fairies worked quickly and indifferently.

Sarah smiled and said, "Remember me?" and the fairy replied in a high-pitched, rude voice, "You are so plain and bland! I don't know what Jareth or even Sir. Prowl-foot sees in you!" "Mean fairies!" Sarah commented under her breath.

Then the lead fairy of the group flew up to her shoulder so Sarah could hear and said, "Alright, we're outa' here! Com'on gals!" then pointing at Sarah she added, "If the gown doesn't fit _quite_ right, it's _your_ fault!" and all eight of them flew away through the window.


	5. Two Doors

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Five – The Two Doors**

The A-team and Max arrived at two large wooden doors half way to the castle. It was the only entrance through the Great Goblin Wall separating the Forbidden Forest from the rest of the Labyrinth. The two doors had no handles or door knobs though each had a large gargoyle door knocker at their center. The faces somehow strangely looked like the two critics on the Muppet Show, Statler and Waldorf, only gargoyle style, maybe just a coincidence (maybe not! He He!).

Each knocker had a large circular brass ring attached as big as a car steering wheel to knock on the door with. The one on the left that looked like Statler had its ring through its two large funny looking ears. The one on the right that looked like Waldorf had its ring in its mouth. The two gargoyles were both sound asleep, taking a deep nap, snoring very loudly!

The one on the right woke up, startled from hearing the travelers' footsteps. The one on the left kept on snoring since he couldn't hear well with its brass ring through its ears.

The awakened gargoyle mumbled something unintelligible and Murdock took the ring out of its mouth so it could speak clearly. The gargoyle said with its tenor, eccentric voice, "It's so good to have that ring out of my mouth again!" He stretched out his mouth and lips, breathing in and out freely.

The knocker warned the four travelers; "The Forbidden Forest beyond this door is perilous; enter at your own risk!" What he told them was the truth, Sarah narrowly escaped the forest when she was fifteen.

He mentioned this, however, not just to warn them but had an ulterior motive. The rules were that one had to knock using the knocker for the door to open. The gargoyle didn't want the ring put back in his mouth so they could knock. He wanted them to choose the other door instead and remembered how Sarah tricked him by squeezing his nose so he couldn't breathe, forcing him to open his mouth. That's how she put the ring back! Her plan worked and the knocker wanted to avoid a repeat outcome.

"If you knock on the _other_ door instead", continued the gargoyle, cleverly, "it will open to.., actually, I'm not sure where that one opens to, no one has tried it so far, and things are subject to change in this place, for anything's possible and nothing is what it seems!"

"Then what about _your_ door?" inquired Hannibal, "Can it change too?" To this he replied, "Sure, it's possible! At any rate, won't you be kind and humor an old knocker? Please?"

Max the goblin then gave his recommendation; "I wouldn't go into that Forbidden Forest where the Fire Gang live, not in a million years! We should avoid it at all costs!"

So the rescuers knocked on the door on the left. This immediately awakened the still snoring gargoyle. He said, "Hey, it's very rude to wake an old man from his nap!" The door opened, however, with a creaking sound from its rusty hinges.

As the four walked through, Face apologized to the gargoyle; "Sorry to disturb your nap, it's for a great cause!" To this the knocker replied, "Doesn't anyone ever speak up anymore! Mumble, mumble!" He closed his heavy eyelids, continuing his nap. Murdock commented, "I wonder if they know any good knock, knock jokes!"

The knocker on the right was very happy to finally be rid of that ring in his mouth, hopefully for good or at least for a long time. The A-team hid the brass ring near the door in a bush. The gargoyle wore a big grin on his face from then on, at least until the next traveler arrived. His plan worked!

Meanwhile, in his castle, Jareth the Goblin King was surrounded by his usual royal court of goblin subjects. He watched the A-team's progress through his crystal and said with charismatic overconfidence; "They're no match for my Labyrinth! B.A. will make a fantastic replacement for Humungous; I think I'll call him…Tremendous! Or, Mr. T for short!" (He He)

He commanded the goblins; "Well, laugh!" And all the goblins laughed with a loud uproar and clatter, though it was fake and exaggerated, disguised as real as best they could muster to avoid penalty.

Humungous was the very large mechanical guard at the goblin city gate that used to say very loudly and deeply "Whooooo Goes!" over and over to any strangers. It became scrap metal after its confrontation with and defeat by Sarah and her friends. Max's father was the inventor and operator of Humungous.

The door the A-team and Max went though led directly to a rocky area of the woods on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. They chose the right door after all thanks to the gargoyle's tip and avoided great danger. However, their luck was soon about to change abruptly.

Making their way past the edge of the forest, they saw three curious rocks, each one twice as tall as the one in front of it. The tallest one was almost as tall as Murdock. When you looked at them lined up at a certain angle, combined like a puzzle, it was the exact likeness of Jareth's face!

Just then a crystal orb rolled out from behind one of the rocks. Max knew what that meant, so he hid saying, "Ah-oh! I'm not stayin'!"

The Goblin King appeared before them; "Well, how are you enjoying your excursion in my Labyrinth? Is there anything else I can provide to make it all the more thrilling?"

Murdock started out to say something but Hannibal put his hand out to quiet him. Hannibal knew Murdock would probably say the wrong thing again; something silly Jareth wouldn't appreciate.

Hannibal answered, "Not bad, really, how does it look like we're doing?" Jareth replied, "You could do a bit worse, so I have a plan, something you'll quite enjoy, I expect, a nice change of pace!" "What?" asked Murdock.

"I have sent your friend with the mohawk on an errand to give you more time, that is, if he's successful and obeys all of my rules. You don't have to be in nearly such a hurry; it seems my generosity has gotten the best of me once again. So, here's my plan; I want you to relax and take a nice _long_ vacation in the Bog of Eternal Stench!"


	6. Bog of Eternal Stench

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Six – DeGarp and Merbrup**

Hannibal, Face, and Murdock then found themselves under a large tree in the middle of the bog. Max, the goblin, appeared up in the tree tangled in its branches. Jareth had sent him there as well since he was aware of Max hiding among the rocks. The Bog of Eternal Stench was sputtering with slime and mud. Small insects and large ones were buzzing around.

Hannibal plugged his nose and said, "ThDis plWace STiDingKts!" Face said, fanning his nose a few of times and gagging, "That's an understatement! I won't be recommending this vacation spot to anyone; ah-hum, I've smelt better sewers!" Then Murdock stood up and sanguinely said; "Mmmmhmm, just like Mom's home cooking!" "WRilly Burdock?" asked Hannibal, with his nose still plugged. "You're Mom must not cook very well." commented Face. Murdock replied, "Nah, I'm just trying to pretend it's not so bad. It works at the institution; they don't serve the best food there!" "Is it working?" quizzed Hannibal, releasing his nose. "I don't think so," replied Murdock. "This just isn't a place to talk about food, how about getting out of here!" said Face.

"AnDyone haBfe anDy eyeDiYas?" asked Hannibal. Max then climbed out of the tree and said, "Whatever you do, don't get in any of that slime or you'll smell bad forever; it won't ever wash off!"

There were no bridges in the bog. A few years before they arrived, the bog flooded and overflowed. The only bridge washed away and even the rocks Ludo summoned to be stepping stones had moved out of place.

Murdock tried to use his magic wand to get out of the bog as quickly as possible. He tried fifteen times, using different words, then tried one last time; "Hear ye, Hear ye, make a bridge over this bog!" It still didn't work. Then he surmised correctly, "I guess Jareth's the only one allowed to transport in this Labyrinth no matter what magic spell I use."

The four of them looked up and saw a funny looking goblin walking along the banks of the bog with a pail. He was old and walked using a walking stick. He had a large upper body, hunched over a bit, and long thin legs. The old goblin stood at least as twice as tall as Max. He was bald with a very long thin white beard and mustache that reached all the way to the ground. These he threw over his shoulder when collecting herbs so his facial hair wouldn't stink forever!

The goblin said, "Hello, nice to see tourists! Name's DeGarp. I'm collecting an herb that only grows here in the bog. It's a called Snog-bunckle weed. Good for healing sunburns, even moon burns, great for growing new fashionable warts! Would you like to try a sample? A few new warts couldn't hurt, right? It could make you the talk of the town. They make excellent souvenirs and gifts for relatives to take back with you, wherever you're from. I can have a bundle gift wrapped for you!" "No thanks!" they all replied together.

The four asked DeGarp how to get out of the bog. He told them he had a boat but it only held one person. Hannibal suggested, "We could attach a rope to retrieve the boat so we can get across one at a time!" Face commented, "We also need gloves so we won't touch any of the slime on the rope when we retrieve it. The gloves might stink forever, but we won't!"

So DeGarp left and came back with gloves and very long rope. Hannibal went across first, paddling the boat and using the tall walking stick to guide it through slime. The rope was tied to the boat and the four on the bank held onto it, letting the rope out as the boat went across.

When it reached the other bank, Hannibal got out and yelled, "OK, now pull it back!" All four of them pulled on the rope to bring the boat back. However, the boat became stuck in the slimy, bubbling mud that became very thick in parts and changed in consistency as it bubbled.

"We can't pull it back!" yelled Murdock! They tried harder but the rope broke causing the boat to drift out into the bog.

"There goes my boat!" yelled DeGarp! Then he said, "Oh, I forgot about Merbrup! He can help us!" "Who's Merbrup?" asked Murdock.

"Merbrup is a creature in the bog I trained to help me fetch herbs difficult to reach without stepping in the bog. Hear, Merbrup!" he called.

Out jumped a creature that had large frog's eyes, a wide, flat mouth and a seal's body. He also had spikes from head to tail along his backbone and scales like a dragon. The creature could get through the bog very easily. He acted similar to a dog and was apparently named after the sound he made. He was about as big as Max. DeGarp ordered it to fetch the boat.

Merbrup retrieved the boat three more times for each of them to cross the bog and was rewarded with a nice treat, a large juicy pineapple. He swallowed it whole, licked his lips, then burped very loudly. He liked fruit very much.

The rescuers' shoes, however, smelled bad forever from stepping onto the slimy bank to get in and out of the boat. It couldn't be avoided.

After their stay at the bog and a short trek through the woods, Max led the trio to a cave, a short cut through the Labyrinth that led directly to the junk yard just outside the Goblin City!

The cave was full of False Alarms, stone faces that constantly yelled out warnings to warn strangers they were going the wrong way, especially when they were going the right way. The alarms said things like "The way is perilous!", "Beware the path of no return!", and "Prepare your Will before proceeding!"

The four then walked by a False Alarm that said, "Hurry up, fools, get me outa' here!" The False Alarm looked exactly like B.A. and surprised them.

There was an echo in the cave; it was Jareth's voice saying tauntingly; "Time is short. What a pity! He'll make a Tremendous guard! Ha, Ha, Ha! " Jareth also dispatched a goblin brigade to guard the city and castle to stall the A-team perchance they made it to the Goblin City on time.

The four then walked through several passage ways, following several signs pointing that warned; "Danger, keep out!" since Max knew those were the ways to be trusted, the safest. Unknown to the rescuers, however, Jareth had one of his minions change the last sign.

The rescuers reached a cave exit. It was dusk outside. Murdock stepped on a stone on the cave floor that triggered a rotating mechanical device with sharp steel blades and wooden beams with spikes, the Gauntlet of Peril! They all stood back hoping to think of a plan to get past it.

A bat in the cave flew past them and flew right through the moving blades and beams since he lived there and knew the contraption well. Another bat flew by and Max caught it. He tied a rock loosely to its feet and let the bat go. He did this to five more small bats as well. They flew through the device and the rocks got caught in its blades, breaking the gauntlet. It smoked and stopped rotating. Murdock then picked up a rock and smashed the machine a bit, bending some of its blades and breaking a beam so the four of them could squeeze by to exit the cave. They had to walk further than planned to get to the junkyard since they didn't end up at the same exit Max intended due to the misguiding sign.


	7. The Rescue

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Seven – The Rescue**

Meanwhile B.A., Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Ambrosius arrived in the Werewolf Kingdom. The Werewolf City surrounding the castle had no walls or gate. The kingdom had no fear of enemies in the Underground due to its terrifying reputation; no walls were necessary. Werewolves are not very industrious builders anyway; they napped during the day, each keeping one eye open and sleeping in shifts to watch. They roamed, prowled, battled, hunted, and howled at night.

Sarah's rescuers discovered everyone in the city was busy getting ready to attend the royal banquet and masquerade ball. They learned everyone in the kingdom was invited, even strangers from other kingdoms with an invitation.

Sarah was very lonely and depressed while waiting for the banquet and ball to begin. She stood up in one of the castle towers looking down on the city and said to herself, "Here I go again, another masquerade ball in the Underground, only this time it's in a castle instead of a bubble. I wonder how I can get free this time!"

Then she looked down and saw three creatures she recognized, her friends. Ludo looked up and said, "Sarah!" All four of them looked up, happy to find her so quickly! Sarah saw B.A., pointed at him and asked her friends, "Who is that?" The balcony was very high so she had to use hand signals and her friends read her lips. "B.A., friend!" Ludo replied!

Everyone around was too busy getting ready to notice their camaraderie. Sarah said, "Wait a minute, I'll be right back!" She came back with four invitations to the ball. "You need these!" She tied them up with ribbon and her heart locket to add weight then dropped them from the balcony for her friends to pick up.

The heart locket had been given to her by a secret admirer in the Aboveground and she hoped to get it back after the ball. It was actually given to her by Jareth and if she ever said his name while looking into it she could have seen him, though she hadn't done that so far! Sarah put her parent's pictures in the locket, a picture of her Father, Step-mother, and Toby on one side and her Mother and Step-father on the other side.

B.A., Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Ambrosius went to the local tailor shop to purchase costumes for the ball (not that they ever need costumes!). B.A. traded three of his golden chains and a ring in exchange for the outfits, a sacrifice for a worthy cause. He dressed up as a pirate with an eye patch. Ludo dressed up as a dragon. It was the only costume left big enough for him. They were fresh out of elephant costumes which Ludo would have preferred. Ludo was at first frightened of his own costume, but got used to it. He couldn't see it after he put it on anyway. Sir Didymus dressed as a knight in shining armor with a sword by his side, ready to storm the castle (not surprising at all). Ambrosius, Sir Didymus' loyal steed, a sheep dog actually, dressed up as a horse.

The four rescuers were welcomed at the royal ball with no problem at all with the invitations. The banquet and ball room were decorated exquisitely with silver candle holders, burgundy candles, long-stemmed red roses everywhere, gray and white silk table cloths, and many elaborate crystal chandeliers.

Sarah came out; she looked so beautiful. She was dressed as a fairy with delicate white wings that sparkled, though it wasn't her choice of a costume especially after her recent interactions with fairies. She thought she could be a nice fairy, though, as fairies _should_ be, in her opinion, yet not towards her captors, so maybe it was appropriate after all. She wished she _was_ a real fairy so she could escape easily or, better yet, not have to be there at all! Her gown was burgundy, light gray, and white. It had intricate patterns on it and was made of velvet, silk, and lace.

Sir James Prowl-foot was introduced to Sarah by the Queen for the couple's first dance. "And hopefully our last!" Sarah thought. He was tall with muscular arms and legs. He had thick dark brown hair, wild pale green eyes, and a neatly trimmed mustache and beard. Sarah noticed his beard had some gray hairs in it and wondered if it was werewolf fur, age, or both. The aspiring Werewolf King kissed Sarah's hand charmingly. His facial hair tickled her hand though.

James wore a suit of black, burgundy and gray, obviously to match Sarah's gown. He had absolutely nothing sparkly or shiny on his personage at all, in stark contrast to Jareth (no glitter, lip gloss, or eye make-up!). The only exception was his buttons which were made of rubies encased in gold.

Sir Prowl-foot at first wore an elaborate mask that was half a human's face and half a wolf's face with a sun in the lower corner near the human face and a moon near the upper corner of the wolf's face, supposedly for Sarah to get used to the idea. He removed the mask when greeting and dancing with her, though, enabling a more inter-personal interaction.

He had a bit of a limp due to injuries acquired from battles, hunting, raiding, scavenging, etc. during his nights of prowling as a wolf that took its toll over many years. He didn't dance nearly as well as Jareth because of this. He had a few scars on his face as well. However, James was just as, if not more, sympathetically polite, charming, and even as handsome as Jareth was at the bubble masquerade (due to that hallucinogenic peach). This suitor was much more dangerous of course.

Sarah vividly remembered Jareth in the bubble. She said to herself, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but if I _had_ to choose between the two of them, I _would_ take Jareth over Sir Prowl-wolf any day!" (Jareth would probably have the better smelling breath of the two also).

After the dance and meal (the meat was much too rare), Sarah was allowed to interact with other guests. Her four friends secretly snuck her out of the ballroom without being noticed. It helped that Ludo and B.A. were much bigger than Sarah and she could easily hide behind them to sneak out. It didn't take long for Queen Lileth to notice Sarah was missing, however.

Sarah said, "Wait, we have to rescue Hoggle!" and she led them to the dungeon. The lone, skinny guard left to guard the dungeon that evening fainted when Ludo approached, when he growled at him and breathed on him. Ludo bent the bars to set Hoggle free.

Hoggle was very relieved and thankful to see his friends. He hadn't met B.A. yet and his eyes immediately lit up when he saw all the jewelry B.A. wore, though there was no time for introductions just then.

The six of them could already hear the footsteps of the guards and knew guards would check the dungeon first. It was already close to dusk and they all knew what that meant in the Werewolf Kingdom. It was going to be a full moon that night as well.

The six friends knew they would have to fight their way out and immediately prepared. B.A. stood ready to fight with his fists. Sir Didymus drew out his new knight's sword; and Ludo took a deep breath to begin to call rocks. Ambrosius hid since he wasn't nearly as brave as Sir Didymus claimed. Hoggle crossed his fingers and hoped not to die. Sarah stood behind her friends ready to pick up falling rocks to throw and use her feet to run!

Ludo began to summon the stones of the castle with his deep wailing voice. They cooperated well since the castle was old and crumbly. Soon they began to fall apart and roll. Sarah said, "Be careful, Ludo, we don't want them to fall on us!" The werewolf guards were distracted by falling rocks and a large group of guards were already blocked off from the entrance to the dungeon by them. Stones on the outer walls of the castle then came loose and fell away, creating a passage for the six friends to escape.

They ran as fast as they could. As they reached the edge of the Werewolf Kingdom, darkness fell and the full moon came out. They heard loud howling behind them and crept deep into the woods to hide, moving quickly and as quietly as they could.


	8. Peach Champagne

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Eight – Peach Champagne **

Jareth was watching them every moment in his crystal. He turned into a white owl and flew out to the woods to meet them. He changed into his kingly stature and with his crystal instantly transported all of them to his throne room.

"Welcome, guests!" he said with arms out to his side, slightly bowing! Sarah, it has been such long while now, hasn't it? And my, you are so much more grown up! You look lovely in that dress, though it looks a bit worn from the escape as you do. Go and refresh yourselves, my guests! When you return, our celebrated champagne will be served and I will call in the goblins for entertainment." A goblin escorted the six of them to a place to freshen up.

When they returned to the throne room, Sarah addressed Jareth saying, "It _was_ you who sent B.A. and the rest to rescue me! Thank you! You knew it would work! It even makes up for what you put Toby and me through years ago, you remember, 'Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered...'" "Please!," replied Jareth, "Don't repeat those lines, it hurts me to hear them again from your lips!" He didn't like re-living the past or guilt he held deep inside.

Sarah, still not quite used to the idea of Jareth being so incredibly helpful, replied, "Oh! I apologize for the flashback; I have a habit of dramatization since that's what I do now in college. Thank you for rescuing me from that horrible Werewolf Kingdom! I don't know what I would've done without everyone's help! Thanks, all of you! My family and friends must miss me dearly; I can't wait to see them again. That is, if you don't plan on keeping me here now!"

Jareth replied, "Sarah, I couldn't bear the thought of you becoming a werewolf, that's why I sent your friends. As it stands, I have no power over you; you've already defeated me, so you are free to do whatever you want, but please stay for entertainment!"

Sarah then walked up to Jareth. Approaching his throne, she studied his reactions closely and was all things combined; composed, graceful, serene, sincere, and unhindered. She knew how lonely Jareth had been while ruling goblins perhaps for thousands of years if a day and had pitied him ever since she left the Labyrinth.

She looked deeply into his stunning eyes and spoke softly; "You've shown you can be at least thoughtful, if not generous; perhaps greed won't plague the best of your days after all! I'll be glad to stay for the evening!" She then gave Jareth a polite and gentle kiss on his cheek.

Jareth's eyes lit up. He smiled brightly and his face transformed though he also looked downward in deep contemplation for a moment before looking back up at her again. Sarah blushed. She was pleased to see Jareth smile like that, actually incontrovertibly appreciative and cheerful! What an amazing difference!

In rescuing her, however, Jareth also wanted to avoid the possibility of Sarah, as Werewolf Queen, declaring war upon his kingdom for revenge, but purposely failed to mention _that_ point.

B.A. said, "What about me? Don't I get a kiss too?" Sarah responded, "Of course, you especially deserve it!" She hugged B.A. and kissed him on the cheek. Jareth had a jealous look for half a second; the corners of his mouth tuned downward slightly. However, B.A. gave Sarah her locket back and Jareth smiled once again, pleased to see she wore it. Jareth remembered Sarah's kiss always.

Sarah and her friends then sat down together to wait for the champagne and goblin entertainment. B.A. looked at the clock and wondered how his friends were doing and if they would make it on time. He calculated it had been 11 hours and 47 minutes with 1 hour and 13 minutes to go!

Sarah then asked B.A. "Where are you from? How did you get here in the Underground?" "I'm from L.A., your home town!" he answered, "and your father hired us, I mean, me, to find you!" "Did Jareth bring you here?" she asked. "You could say that." answered B.A., remembering what Jareth told him about keeping quiet about the A-team and sending them to the Bog of Eternal Stench.

Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Sarah enjoyed catching up and remembering old times together. Ambrosius sat at Sarah's feet for Sarah to scratch his ears.

Hoggle and B.A. then talked about jewelry, Hoggle's favorite subject. B.A. gave him one of his favorite gold chains and Hoggle loved it. "What's it made of?" he asked. "Gold!" B.A. replied "Well, it looks nice!" said Hoggle, since gold wasn't nearly as valuable as plastic in the Underground. Hoggle liked it very much, though, a gift from a friend from the Aboveground who rescued him.

Hoggle then offered to trade one of his plastic rings for one of B.A.'s gold rings but B.A. said, "What kind' a fool you take me for!" Hoggle responded, "No kind' a fool! Who wouldn't want plastic for gold?"

B.A. replied, "What kind'a jive you talkin'?" Hoggle replied, "Oh! I would've never of guessed it! Plastic, not gold, is cheap in the Aboveground, is it?" He smiled, a little embarrassed, and continued, "Well, Sarah must've thought I was bats for all the racket I made over her plastic jewelry!"

"Sarah?" Hoggle asked, "Do you think I'm bats?" Sarah answered, "No, and even if I did, Hoggle, I wouldn't hold it against you. You're always so willing to admit to anything! That's one of the things I like so much about you!" Hoggle blushed and enjoyed the compliment. The dwarf planned to visit the Aboveground soon now that he learned plastic could be so easily acquired there and he could become wealthy.

The goblins entered the castle and Jareth walked over to give them their orders for the evening. B.A. noticed the Goblin King was sufficiently distracted and spoke quietly to Sarah, keeping his head downward so their whispering wouldn't be noticed; "Jareth threatened me to keep this under wraps, but…" and he told Sarah a brief synopsis.

Sarah replied quietly with her head down, watching carefully for Jareth from the corner of her eye; "So, Jareth's up to his same old tricks! I'm sure your friends will make it on time, especially if they're at all like you! I solved the Labyrinth when I was only fifteen, I'm sure they can! I'll do anything I can to help. I can't wait to meet the rest of the A-team!" B.A. replied, "Yeah! I pity the fool who calls himself Jareth!"

Jareth returned to his throne and the entertainment began. A goblin offered Sarah the famous (or infamous) Peach Champagne, a highly celebrated concoction in the Labyrinth and throughout the Underground. She glanced over at Jareth, squinting with her eyelids at half mast accusingly and facetiously; "I will pass on the champagne, thank you." she said, "Peaches from the Underground cannot be trusted, as I found out. I've had enough ballroom dancing for one evening, thank you very much!"

Jareth heard her reference to the peach incident. He smiled at her from across the room and lifted his champagne glass in tribute, thinking, "Ah, she does remember, if only she _could_ stay with me in the Labyrinth! She _would_ make a lovely Goblin Queen!"

Sarah smiled back at him, at first wryly, much colder towards him than she was before, then she corrected herself and smiled back in a brighter way, realizing he mustn't think she's "in the know" about the A-team.

"He can be quite enchanting, yet gives me no other choice!" Sarah thought, "He _is_ gorgeous, but has hardly improved in generosity! He's charming yet cruel; seductive, not so sweet! What a pity! I learned life's not fair, he _still_ needs to learn that greed gets him nowhere! I wonder if he ever will."

The goblins began the entertainment. They built a huge goblin pyramid by standing upon one another's knees, shoulders, heads, etc. Then they all fell down and rolled all over the place, quite comical. One of the goblins said, "Now, don't anyone try this at home, leave it all to us, the professionals!" Sarah laughed and said it reminded her of the Werewolf Castle crumbling before they got free. Ludo enjoyed it very much.

The goblins built one last pyramid as a finale since it was such a popular antic that evening. This time when they built the pyramid, Ludo called out like he was summoning rocks as goblins began to fall. This resulted in huge audience approval and laughter.

Of course, the rocks in Jareth's castle didn't fall since they knew Ludo was only joking, intelligent rocks as they were that could read minds. They only followed Jareth's commands anyway. The rocks in the Escher room were even more specially trained and charmed of course. Ludo knew all of this since, as he says, "Rocks friends!" (I wonder how Ludo would do in the Escher room!)


	9. The Jazz

**The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!**

**Chapter Nine – The Jazz**

Hannibal, Face, Murdock, and Max arrived at the junkyard just outside the Goblin City. Max spied out the city for he knew it well, and told the trio of the goblin brigade in full armor carrying weapons and waiting for them. Hannibal said, "Any ideas on how we can get through to the castle?"

Murdock came up with another one of his brilliant ideas and said, "Max, can you help us build three giant rockets so we can blast directly over the goblin city, straight to the castle?" "Ok" said Max the inventor, "I think I can make enough gun powder. We can find all sorts of things here in the junkyard to build a rocket with!" Hannibal said, "Good work! Sounds like a plan!" The four of them worked on three large rockets and had them built in a little less than half an hour. Murdock and Max worked very carefully on the design and trajectory, since Murdock is the pilot for the A-team and knows so much, especially about the strangest of flying contraptions!

There were five, perhaps seven, or maybe it was ten or more goblins that lived in the junk yard. They had large stacks of junk tied onto their backs and blended in so well with the junk it was hard to tell how many of them there actually were. They all watched the work in progress with amazement. "Oh, this must be the annual 'Recycle Scrap Metal Build-a-thon!", said their leader, the Junk Lady. Each of them began placing scrap metal in piles for the builders to use. They brought pieces one at a time saying; "Here you go!", "Don't forget this one!" and "Here's a beauty!" until they built huge piles, much more scrap metal than the four of them would ever need, possibly in their entire lifetime!

The rockets were all set to be launched. Hannibal, Murdock, and Face secured straps around their arms and legs with some to hold onto tightly. They made helmets and armor out of junk as well, complete with padding from old used goblin pillows and mattresses to cushion their fall.

"How do we know this is going to work?" questioned Face. Hannibal replied, "We don't, but remember, 'The Jazz!'." "Oh yeah, 'The Jazz!'" the two replied, "We're definitely 'On the Jazz' now if at any other time!" commented Face. The trio thanked Max for all his help and he replied, "No problem! It was worth it. Now I can build even bigger rockets!"

The rockets took off with a loud thunder, whistling and sputtering as they sailed high into the air directly over the Goblin City. Many more lights came on in windows in the city and goblins came out of their homes with lanterns saying, "What's all the racket?" Half or more of the goblin brigade ran towards the castle, following the three curious flying projectiles.

One by one, the trio landed; Hannibal on the roof of the castle, Face ran into the closed castle door, and Murdock crashed through a window. The noise of course got everyone's attention in the castle. B.A. said, "That's got to be them! They're 'On the jazz'!" He smiled very big. Sarah looked at the clock and saw the A-team had thirteen minutes left! Jareth immediately sent B.A. to the Escher room to hide him.

Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus fought off the goblin brigade as Sarah quickly escorted Hannibal, Face, and Murdock to the room. Sarah entered the Escher room as well. As they each walked through the door, the five of them were immediately separated by the room's trickery. They ended up on opposite sides of the room from one another. The new challenge began.

The Goblin King then appeared in the Escher room and stood on one of the platforms; "So, Sarah, you were clever enough to discover my plan!" "Yes, Jareth," replied Sarah, "The A-team came to rescue me and this is how you treat them? You give me no other choice!"

Jareth answered, "You're eyes can _still_ be so cruel, just as I can _still_ be so cruel! I reordered time, saved you from werewolves, and gave the A-team thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth! I'm _quite_ exhausted from living up to _everyone's_ expectations! Isn't _that_ generous?"

"This is just like a flashback!" Sarah replied and continued, "Well, Jareth, I'm _quite_ exhausted from enduring _your_ lame and unending excuses! Your own Labyrinth has you trapped and all you do is try to pull everyone else down with you! Not me; and not the A-team!" From then on Sarah allowed no more distractions from Jareth. She was "on the jazz" with the A-team!

The five of them kept trying to assemble to no avail for eight long minutes. Getting all five together at one time in the Escher room was quite a daunting challenge, especially with the control Jareth wielded over the room and the room's amazing talent.

Sarah, however, managed to reach the very center of the room. Her previous experience solving it helped. She said, "I have a plan, each one of you jump when I give the signal! Ok?"

She directed the A-team to key platforms and one by one they jumped towards her at just the right time. Then all five were together to confront Jareth with three minutes left!

They each took turns saying the words from the red book;

Hannibal started out: "'Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered.'"

Face said, "Line, please!" Sarah whispered it to him, then he said; "'We have fought our way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City.'"

Murdock was next: "'To take back our friend whom you have stolen.'"

Then B.A.: "'For our will is as strong as yours and our kingdom is as great', fool!" (fool was added of course)

Sarah said, "OK, now everyone together!"

All five of them said together loudly: "'You have no power over us!'"

The A-team appeared back in Ed Straus' house. Ed came out of the shower wearing a towel and drying his hair. He was shocked to see the four of them sitting in his living room and said, "I see you're making yourselves right at home! Don't you knock anymore?" Then he smiled; "It looks like I might not be so crazy after all! Where did you go and how did you get back? What happened to that strange looking character at the door, whatever you called him?" "You would probably not believe it even if we told you." replied Hannibal. "OK, I won't ask again." said Ed, "I'm just glad you're OK. Did you find Sarah?" "Yes, we did!" said Hannibal.

The A-team then drove to the park in their GMC customized black and gray van with the red stripe. Their hunch was correct; Sarah was there. They picked her up and drove to her parent's house.

Toby, looking through an upstairs window yelled, "Sara's home!" and ran down the stairs. The family was overjoyed to see her back safely. Robert Williams then asked the A-team; "How did you find her?" Hannibal replied "It's a long story. Why don't you ask her?" "Ok, I will!" said Robert.

As the A-team drove away Hannibal said; "I love it when a plan comes together!" Face said, "Yeah, even in a world where anything is possible and nothing is what it seems!" Murdock remarked, "See, B.A., sometimes fairytales _are_ more than fluffy fake foolishness." "Ok, just don't rub it in!" replied B.A.. Sarah worked with the A-team on a number of cases after that and they remained life-long friends.

**The End**

**As the credits roll (outtake):** Murdock went back to the mental institution that evening and when he looked in the mirror he was surprised to see Max standing behind him. He turned and looked around the room but Max wasn't there. When he looked back in the mirror, Max waved at Murdock and said, "Hey, remember me!" Murdock said to himself, "I might truly be going crazy after all!" then replied, "Hi Max! Stop by any time you like! We'll discuss all kinds of flying contraptions and invent a few new ones ourselves!" "OK." replied Max, "I'll stop by on Tuesday!" "Anytime!" said Murdock, waving back at him.


End file.
